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Medieval Music Database

Trop plus et belle; BiautT paree de valour; Je ne sui mie certeins
Three-voice motet by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

New York: Wildenstein Collection, fol. 279v (3/3);
Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 433v (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 277v (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 224v (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 131 (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 121v (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds nouv. acq. français 23190 (olim Serrant Château, ducs de la Trémoïlle), fol. 11v-12 (lost).

Facsimiles

1. WOLF, Johannes. Handbuch der Notationskunde, 2 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1913, 1919. [reprinted Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1963], p. 360 (Pn9221).
2. WOLF, Johannes. Musikalische Schrifttafeln, Leipzig: 1923, plate 23 (Pn9221).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Dritter Band: Motetten, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1929, p. 71.
2. Geschichte der Musik in Beispielen, edited by Arnold Schering, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1931, p. 23.
3. The Works of Guillaume de Machaut, Second Part, edited by Leo Schrade, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1956. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century III, p. 11.
4. Anthology of Music, edited by K. G. Fellerer, 47 vols., Cologne: Arno Volk Verlag, 1959ff. [German edition as Das Musikwerk], Vol. XLVII, p. 31 [R PMFC].

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 524.

Literature

1. MACHABEY, Armand. 'Guillaume de Machault'. La revue musicale, XII (1931), pp. 404-405.
2. APEL, Willi. The Notation of Polyphonic Music 900-1600, Cambridge/Massachusetts: The Medieval Academy of America, 1942, p. 304 briefly.
3. MACHABEY, Armand. Guillaume de Machault, 130?-1377: La vie et l'oeuvre musicale, 2 vols, Paris: Richard-Masse-Editeur, 1955. Bibliothèque d'études musicales, pp. 103-104.
4. REICHERT, Georg. 'Das Verhältnis zwischen musikalischer und textlicher Struktur in den Motetten Machauts', Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, XIII (1956): 197ff.
5. GÜNTHER, Ursula. Der musikalische Stilwandel der französischen Liedkunst in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts, dargestelt an Virelais, Balladen und Rondeax von Machaut., Ph.D. dissertation, University of Hamburg: 1957, Chapter 4.5.
6. POP, Rodica. 'Elemente ale gindirii functionale prezente in creatia lui Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377)', Lucrari de Muzicologie, II (1967), p. 9.
7. SANDERS, Ernest. 'The mediaeval motet', Gattungen der Musik in Einzeldarstellungen: Gedenkschrift Leo Schrade, Erste Folge, Bern, Munich: 1971, pp. 497-573.
8. WERNLI, A. 'La percettibilità delle strutture isoritmiche: osservazioni sui mottetti di Guillaume de Machaut', Studi Musicali, VI (1977), pp. 14-15.
9. COVINGTON, K. 'A theory of dissonance in the fourteenth-century', Indiana Theory Review, II/1 (1978): 29-40.
10. HOPPIN, Richard H. Medieval Music, New York: W. W. Norton, 1978, pp. 479-480.
11. LEGUY, Sylvette. 'Les procédés de composition dans l'oeuvre de Machaut (à l'exclusion de la Messe)', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 307-320.
12. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Contribution de la musicologie à la biographie et à la chronologie de Guillaume de Machaut', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 95-116.
13. BENT, Margaret. 'The Machaut manuscripts Vg, B and E', Musica Disciplina, XXXVII (1983), p. 81.
14. REANEY, Gilbert. 'A consideration of the relative importance of words and music in composition from the 13th to the 15th century', Musik und Text in der Mehrstimmigkeit des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts, Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1984, p. 193.

Recordings

1. Music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Vol. I. 13th - 15th Centuries, Syntagma Musicum Ensemble, directed by Kees Otten: 2-HMV HQS 1195/6.
2. The Seraphim Guide to Renaissance Music, Syntagma Musicum of Amsterdam, directed by Kees Otten (1969): Seraphim SIC-6052 (set 3) (USA).
3. The Art of Courtly Love. Vol. I. Guillaume Machaut and His Age [Contemporaries], Early Music Consort of London, directed by David Munrow (1973): HMV SLS 863(3) (GB).
4. The study of love, Gothic Voices, directed by Christopher Page (1992): Hyperion CDA66619.

Text

Triplum:

Trop plus est belle que biautT
et millour que ne soit bontT.
pleine de tout ce, a dire voir.
que bonne et belle doit avoir.
ce m'est vis, celle que desir
et aim sans nul vilain desir.
Dont se je l'aim, et je qu'en puis.
quant en sa fine bontT truis
de tous mes maulz la garison.
leesse, confort, guerredon
et secours de tous les meschiTs
dont par desir sui entechiTs.
(comment qu'elle n'en saiche rien)
car toute la joie et le bien
que j'ay de sa grace me vient.
sans plus, quant de li me souvient.
n'autre bontT de li n'en port.
Si pri Amours qu'en tel accort
soit, pour ce que mieus l'aim que mi.
qu'elle me teingne pour ami.
Amen.

Motetus:

BiautT paree de valour.
Desirs qui onques n'a sejour
d'acroistre, eins croist de jour en jour
en plaisance et en douce ardour.
Dous Regars pris par grant savour.
tous pleins de promesse d'amour.
d'espoir, de joie, de tenrour
et de pointure de doucour.
font que j'aim des dames la flour.
Or me doint Dieus grace et vigour
que au grT d'Amours et a s'onnour
la puisse servir sanz folour.
Amen.

Tenor:

Je ne sui mie certeins d'avoir amie
mais je sui loyaus amis.
.................................ie
Je ne sui mie certeins d'avoir amie
.................................ie
.................................is
Je ne sui mie certeins d'avoir amie
mais je sui loyaus amis.

Translation

Triplum:

More beautiful than beauty.
better than goodness
and full of truly all
that a good and beautiful lady should have
is, to my mind.
she whom I desire and love
without any base desire.
So how can I not love her.
when I find in her goodness
the cure for all my ills.
joy, comfort, reward and help
for all the misfortunes
which afflict me through desire
- although she is unaware -
for all my joy and recompense
comes from her grace alone.
when I remember her;
nor do I take any other bounty from her.
Therefore I pray Love to consent.
since I love her more than my life.
that she consider me her sweetheart.

Motetus:

Beauty adorned with worth.
Desire which never ceases to grow.
but increases day by day
in enjoyment and sweet pain.
Sweet Glance most delightful to behold.
full of promised love.
of hope, joy, tenderness
and the pang of sweetness.
make me love the flower of ladies.
Now God grant me permission and strength
to serve her faithfully.
to Love's will and to Her honour.

Tenor:

I am not certain of having a sweetheart.
but I am a loyal lover.
.......................................
I am not certain of having a sweetheart.
.......................................
.......................................
I am not certain of having a sweetheart.
but I am a loyal lover.
Text revision and translation © Robyn Smith

Content Approved by: MMDB Director
Last updated: Wednesday, 19 March 2003

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